Net Worth Question

Thank you for this website and forum. It is very informative and helpful to those of us who are trying to struggle with the VA application process. I have learned a wealth of information on this forum website.

A few months ago, I emailed a Veterans Assistance Counselor with our local VA office here in Louisiana, and explained to him that my 92 year old MIL has been living with us for nearly two years, and we were hoping to get information regarding getting VA Survivor's pension & Aid & Attendance benefits for her. I explained how she can only walk with the aid of a cane or walker, and her husband was deceased and had served in WWII. We sent off for all of the documents he told us we needed, death cert., Army records, marriage license, etc. We even had her physician fill out Housebound Aid & Attendance form. The counselor emailed us an attachment of the VA form 21-534EZ. I asked him about the Section VII regarding the net worth. It states "household". I told him that my MIL did not have any assets, other than her SS check, TV and lift chair, but my husband and I have both IRA's and annuities. He told me "The IRA, you have to claim the current value in net worth". Also, he said, "Any income, regardless as yours or your spouse have to be claimed." This did not make sense to me. We are not drawing on these IRA's and annuities, as they are for our retirement. If this is the case, then I don't see how anyone with in-home care for their parent would ever be approved. I emailed him back and told him that if we had to count our IRA's and annuities and our income, then our net worth would be more than the $80,000 limit, but we would still be interested in the Aid & Attendance for her. We never heard another word from him. (I now know that they are connected tiers) From reading the posts on the forum, I am not sure he was correct regarding her net worth. Was he correct? Do we need to show our retirement and income information as well?

When you think about what to report to the VA for your MIL just think of it like this: If your MIL has access to those assets and could use them to pay for care - then you have to report them. This countable income sheet can help you understand what to include and what not to include: https://www.veteranaid.org/docs/income.pdf